Guam, Where America's day begins. (It's tomorrow there when it's today here).


http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../505150302/1002


"Overall, Guam is going to gain from this," Webber said.

Though talks of possibly placing more submarines or an aircraft carrier in the Pacific region have been ongoing, those changes were not mentioned in the BRAC report.

Adm. Robert Willard, vice chief of naval operations, said defense officials are reviewing where to deploy the submarine fleet based in the northeastern states, as well as where to base aircraft carriers. That decision will be made outside of the BRAC process, he added.

In a written statement yesterday, Gov. Felix Camacho said he is confident that Guam will continue to grow "in our role as a vital strategic military asset."

"The initial BRAC findings do not dampen my expectations that Guam will see increases in military activity," Camacho said. "Significant investments are being made to strengthen the military's infrastructure, with more than $1 billion planned for the next six years alone. In addition to the three attack submarines home-ported on Guam, we anticipate an even greater presence and commitment by the military on island."


Originally published May 15, 2005
___________________________________________________________________________

Click link for entire article. The above is only part of the story.

KT

Andersen adds fighters to wing!!!!!!

http://www.guampdn.com/guampublishing/paci...lAlsXFatjJC.htm

May 13, 2005

Andersen adds fighters to wing

By Tech. Sgt. Bryan Gatewood
36th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam — More than 300 members of the 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived on Andersen April 29th, joining the expeditionary bombers and tankers already deployed here. Arriving from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, the squadron is deployed as part of the Air Forces’ continuing force posture adjustments to address worldwide requirements.

“Andersen has long been an ideal location for deployed forces. We have had the bomber and tanker rotations going through here since February of 2004, and now the fighters are just one more part of the Pacific strategic triangle, incorporating Alaska, Hawaii and Guam,” said Col. P.K. White, 36th Air Expeditionary Wing commander. “The decision to bring rotational air assets to Guam is not related to any specific country, situation or increased threat in the region. The Air Force routinely evaluates its readiness and repositions forces as needed to ensure we maintain capabilities necessary to meet our obligations throughout the Asia Pacific Region.”

Col. Joseph Ford, 366th Fighter Wing vice commander said, “We're excited to be the first fighter squadron [to deploy to Guam as part of Pacific Command's ongoing force posture adjustments] because we understand the importance of this deployment. It’s critical we maintain a credible presence throughout the Western Pacific - we have all the training and skills required to achieve this mission at the highest level.”

“We are here to train in the Pacific theater of operations and become familiar with procedures in the Pacific such as airspace and theater command and control," said Lt. Col. Brian Kirkwood, 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander. “Being here allows us to gain a well-rounded knowledge of how we would do business if we were ever asked to conduct future operations in the Pacific.”

Overall, the Strike Eagle commander expects the fighters to make the most of their time here and to complete their mission as they have been trained to do, whether they are at their home station or deployed.

“Flying F-15Es and training in a new theater is an opportunity I haven't had in nearly a decade,” Lt. Col. Gene Anderson, 391st EFS Director of Operations, added. “The squadron has been presented a great opportunity."

Team Andersen has stepped up to the challenge to accommodate the new fighter squadron by turning the Tropicana into fighter operation center.

“We really appreciate all the work from the civil engineering and communication squadrons to get us up and running.” said Colonel Kirkwood.

The Strike Eagle contingent is comprised of men and women from the 391st Fighter Squadron, 366th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 366th Component Repair Squadron and 366th Equipment Maintenance Squadron - all part of the 366th Fighter Wing.

The F-15E Strike Eagle is a dual-role fighter designed to perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Its array of avionics and electronics systems gives the F-15E the capability to fight at low altitude, day or night, and in all weather.

http://www.guampdn.com/guampublishing/navi...FkyJknqVVFB.htm

May 13, 2005

Local

CNO visits Guam, Navy leaders

By Kelly Nicholas and Coleen R. San Nicolas-Perez
Pacific Navigator Staff
Adm. Vern Clark, the 27th Chief of Naval Operations, toured Naval Base Guam and met with military leaders after his arrival on island May 4 with Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Terry Scott.
The CNO’s visit to Guam is one of several he made while touring naval installations in the Pacific. According to Clark, this area of responsibility has great significance to the Navy.
“If Guam wasn’t important, I wouldn’t be here,” Clark said. “This is an extraordinarily important place to our nation, both to the Air Force team over at Andersen and on the Navy side here.”
Clark said his time on Guam was also an opportunity to interact with local leaders as well as Navy officials. He spoke with Governor of Guam Felix Camacho and several high-ranking officers, including Rear Adm. Arthur Johnson, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Marianas, and Capt. Robert McNaught, commanding officer of Naval Base Guam and COMNAVMARIANAS chief of staff.
“We have to optimize this location, in partnership with the people, the citizens of Guam, so that we provide the right investment levels into Guam and create the kind of future that our nation needs, with the right readiness levels and the right opportunities for national security,” Clark said.
During his tour of Naval Base Guam, Clark visited Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5, Apra Harbor, Delta and Echo Piers, Kilo Wharf, the Navy fuel farm, and the Single Sailor Sanctuary.
Clark also expressed his gratitude to Navy officers and enlisted personnel stationed on Guam for their patriotism and service to the U.S.
“We’re part of a nation that believes in some principles so strongly that we’re willing to fight for them,” said Clark. “[You’re] part of a very important team, and I thank you for what you do ... Be proud of what you do, and do what you can be proud of.”
The CNO is the senior military officer of the Department of the Navy, and is responsible to the Secretary of the Navy for the command, utilization of resources and efficiency of the operating forces of the Navy and of the Navy shore activities assigned by the Secretary.
A member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Clark is the principal naval adviser to the President and to the Secretary of the Navy on the conduct of war, and is the principal adviser and naval executive to the Secretary on the conduct of activities of the Department of the Navy.
Clark, who assumed duties as CNO in July 2000, is expected to retire this summer. He last visited the region in 2001.

Snuffysmith May 9 2005, 08:50 PM
Post #145


Advanced Member

Group: Moderator
Posts: 20,642
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From: Washington D.C.
Member No.: 9



Dynamic of war :
The chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency tells the Senate Armed Services Committee North Korea has the wherewithal to put a nuclear device in the nose cone of a three-stage, long-range missile that can reach Hawaii and Alaska.
http://www.segye.com/Service5/ShellView.as...505091511000105
http://snipurl.com/erlc
____________________________________________________________________________



What do you think? Could that long range missile reach Guam?

KT

I found I needed a little history brush-up on Guam:


www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/pacific/guam/history.htm 

...

"Following Spain's defeat in the Spanish-American War of 1898, Guam - along with Puerto Rico and the Philippines - was ceded to the USA with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. For the first half of the 20th century, the isaldn was administered by the US Navy except for a brief period beginning in 1941 of 31 months of Japanese occupation during WWII, the only US territory occupied by the Japanese in World War II, when it was taken over for 31 months from 1941. American forces recaptured Guam in 1944.

The Organic Act of 1950 accorded Guam's population with US citizenship and self-government powers, but not the right to vote in national elections. The citizens of Guam went about electing their first governor in 1970, and then two years later headed back to the ballot box to elect their first delegate to the US House of Representatives (albeit a non-voting one). Plebiscites held in 1982 and 1987 indicated that locals were seeking to redefine their relationship with the US, but little has since been achieved on that front.

Today the US presence in Guam is strong, with military facilities dominating the landscape and more than 23,000 military personnel and dependants on the island. Despite years of lobbying to free Guam from its rather blurry 'unincorporated' US territory status, the White House still hasn't bothered to grant the island Commonwealth recognition similar to that of Puerto Rico. Recently-released census information has indicated that about a quarter of the population lives underneath the poverty line.

In April 2002 an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale hit the island, followed in July by a typhoon that left many areas without power and running water. In December of that same year the super typhoon Pongsona hit Guam, causing massive property damage which once more brought Guam to its knees. With the help of plenty of Red Cross and FEMA aid, the resilient island has in 2005 all but recovered."


Mmmm. One would think that it would be in the best interests of the U.S. to
give Guam greater recognition, as we seem to be using the island and things are a bit dicey in
the Far East - probably into the long term with China strengthening, too. But perhaps that would be too logical.

http://www.kuam.com/archives/

Pie, check out this page and click on


The Taotaomona Tales
Sabrina Salas takes you inside Guam's spiritual world, introducing you to  several residents who say the island's ancient spirits are real - and share their first-hand experiences with those who walked the island generations before.

(S/O believes in the Taotaomona and ancient spirits. ) Fortunately for S/O, KT is fearless!

KT

Could not open download- grrrrr. (Had the same problem the other day when everyone else was watching the Bolton hearings on C-Span 3. )

So are these sprits mean or vindictive ? I assume they are a part of the native cultural heritage-
it is nice they have survived (I guess)- since I know there are hundreds of years of attempts to
Christianize the island.

Now you have me curious- tell more !

Okay Pie, sorry that you couldn't get the KUAM streaming video tales of the Taotaomona.

Here's another site that tells about Taotaomona and Manmakahnas. I wish you could have listened to the first one though. They have an interesting way of using the English language!

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

KT



edit to include the link!!!! lol!!!

http://guam.org.gu/hemplo/taotaomo.html

If you get an error on that link, then you'll have to cut and paste it onto your Address bar.
Seems that clicking on it from here may cause a malfunction.

This is the text without the picture.

¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿
¿¿¿¿¿


Taotaomona

Our Early Ancestors of the Land

The taotaomonas (people before recorded time) are the apparitions of the ancient people of Guahan. The Spanish-Chamoru War between April 2, 1672 and July 1695 resulted in the deaths of over 150,000 native inhabitants which included the manmakahnas (ancient medicine healers later dubbed suruhanos and suruhanas by the Spanish). Many of the ancient Latte Stone sites were once villages burned and destroyed by the Spanish soldiers. Roaming the jungles are ancestral spirits with unresolved but determined purpose.

Historian Benigno Palomo writes, "While it is often said that the ancient Chamorro had no organized priesthood, no temples and no defined religious creed, therefore, no rituals, according to Padre San Vitores 1669, the Chamorros worshiped the spirits of their ancestors, called aniti.

The aniti were sacred and powerful spirits who could help them. When angered, however, they could do harm. As a result, the spirits and relics of the dead, especially of one's ancestors, were feared and venerated. The chamorros had their rituals."

This page was authored as an advisory to new residents and young Chamorus who might not notice the wariness of Guam's indigenous people. The taotaomona may take the form of a person who appears physically large and strong. The forms taken may be white lady aparitions accompanied by scents of flowers or lemon, large men or 'small children called duendes'. Some of the taotaomonas are described as headless and having deformed bodies. If a person gathers plants in a jungle, they must ask permission "gue'la yan gue'lo, kao sina yu' manule' tinanoum-mu ya yanggen matto hao gi tano'-hu fanule' ha sin mamaisen" in Chamorro.


There is one special taotaomona called Anufat. He is described as very ugly with teeth six inches long. He also has a hole on each side of his head, with ferns stuffed in each hole.

There is a story by the Manhamkos (elderly men and women), that if a person walks through an ancient burial site, they must always whistle so as not to disturb Anufat. If they don’t whistle, Anufat may become startled and cause great harm.

The taotaomonas of Guahan roam the jungles and are present around the ancient latte ruins, large basalt and coral boulders and caves, as well as amongst the thick dense hanging roots of the Banyan Trees. If you enter the jungles and disturb the taotaomonas, they may pinch you, leaving red marks or swellings on your body, or they may cause illnesses which are difficult to diagnose by conventional doctors.. The only treatment for this sickness is to visit a suruhana (Chamorro female traditional healer) or a suruhano (Chamorro male traditional healer). You may be given herbs or a massage as treatment but almost always you will be instructed to revisit the site where the illness began and ask forgiveness from the "guelotas and guelatas" or ancient grandparents for disturbing a burial site. The mindset of the Chamoru Culture is rooted on respect which is extended to those who have passed on beyond the world of the living. Those who enter the jungle, cave or an unexpected clearing under a large rooted tree without exhibiting proper respect will fall ill.

PLAQUE Honoring Guam's Ancestors at TOMHUM

Este na mangaige i tataotao i Guelota
yan Guelata siha ni' muna'i hit ni'
lana'la' yan espiritu para i
manatatatte na tataogue. Ta katga i
espiriton-niha gi ya hita pa'go yan i
Manmamailai' na tiempo. Nihi ta onra
guine na lugat i espiriton-niha ginen
i che'cho'ta pa'gu yan para todu i tiempo.

Here lie the remains of Chamorus from
times past, ancestors who have
bequeath life and spirit to those
who have followed them. We carry that
spirit with us now, and into times
yet to come. At this place let us
remember those who came before, honor
their remains, and resolve to honor
their spirit by our action now and
through the challenges of our future.

Thanks, KT !

After indigenous people are slaughtered, it is no wonder that their descendants wish to "haunt"
the invaders. :yes: Makes perfect sense to me.

And the poem is beautiful:

QUOTE

Here lie the remains of Chamorus from
times past, ancestors who have
bequeath life and spirit to those
who have followed them. We carry that
spirit with us now, and into times
yet to come. At this place let us
remember those who came before, honor
their remains, and resolve to honor
their spirit by our action now and
through the challenges of our future.

This could apply to so very many native people in so very many places.

http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../505210302/1002

California porn case has link to Guam